| Verse of the day Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. – Proverbs 18:21 |
| Voice of the day I’m a firm believer that language and how we use language determines how we act, and how we act then determines our lives and other people’s lives. – Ntozake Shange |
| Prayer of the day Lord, we pray that the words we choose to speak would always give life to whoever hears them. Give us patience to be slow to speak and soft hearts that long to make amends when our words wound instead of heal. |
“We have the ability, and I believe the evolutionary mandate, to stop violence. The best way to stop it is to realize that we are spiritual beings who need love as much as we need food. . . . Join communities of people who are working toward advancing human civilization by realizing that Survival of the Most Loving is the only ethic that will ensure not only a healthy personal life but also a healthy planet.” —Bruce H. Lipton
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Thank you for another day of ministry
Thank you for another day to offer pastoral support
Thank you for insights gained through study
Thank you for moments to simply Be Still
Thank you for the many blessings in my life
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
What a wonderful Lord’s day of worship and fellowship
The weather was perfect for our service on the church lawn
The energy we felt in worship was tremendous
Today also offered opportunities to simply Be Still
Of course, nobody does “Be Still” better than a snoozing puppy!
I am thankful to be able to spend time relaxing with my sweetheart
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
In last Sunday’s sermon based in part on the Ten Commandments my focus was on the covenant between God and God’s children. We are called to love God with all that we have and all that we are, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and yes, to love every neighbor, even our enemies.
The theme for our Lenten midweek services this year is Journey Toward Love. As we explore God’s love for us, God’s love for others, our love for God, and our love for others; we are challenged to reflect on how we live out this sacred calling to love.
A part of living a life of love is found in John 3:14-21. While many folks immediately turn to John 3:16 with the promise of salvation; I was challenged to look a bit further into what Jesus was saying. In verses 19-21 light and darkness are discussed. Those who love darkness rather than light do so because they don’t want their deeds exposed. On the other hand, those who love the light aren’t afraid to have their deeds exposed because their deeds are good and pleasing to God.
If we follow the command to love God and neighbor, we are living in the light of God’s love. If we live in that love and share that love, the call of Micah is indeed fulfilled. What is required of us? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8)
As the Lenten journey continues, my prayer is that the call to love will transform not only my own heart and life, but will transform others. Anne Frank wrote the following about being such a witness: Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.
I’ll close with the following thoughts about love from Thomas Merton: Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves. Love, therefore, is its own reward. (No Man is an Island, p. 3)
“I’m very conscious of the fact that you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork. When you do it alone you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do it.”—Wangari Maathai
“What does it mean to practice the spiritual life? When we embody practices, we live into them and they shape our habits of being. We have to practice being present to the moment, because our tendency – and the world around us conspires in this – is to be distracted. The monk practices contemplation so that in her whole life she can become conscious of the sacred presence beating through the heart of the world.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
What is a distraction or obstacle that keeps you from living a more contemplative life as a monk in the world?
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It was an incredibly early rise this morning
A beautiful drive along the backroads
Time spent running errands with Denise’s Dad
Time spent with my sweetheart on the drive back and forth
Continuing to pray for loved ones in hospital
Continuing to pray for loved ones awaiting medical results
Praying for those involved in a very scary car crash that happened in front of us on the way home
Thankful for a lovely late evening to relax and simply Be Still
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
An excellent reflection!
We are crossing the threshold into the second half of Lent and into the second year of the pandemic. Crossing into a new place we have never been before.
I am writing this post on March 11, 2021. It was a year ago today in America we realized that the pandemic was real.
— Read on godspacelight.com/2021/03/12/freerangefriday-crossing-the-threshold-in-the-wilderness/
“Violence has no practical results towards building a strengthened community or solving the problems of human prejudice, bias and injustice. People accept the ideological or even religious myth that if you want to get things done, violence is the way. But violence is not even the faster way. It complicates issues, increases and escalates pain, postpones the hard work of facing the problem and healing it. Violence can kill somebody and destroy buildings. But it cannot build a house or create a community that is more just and fair.”—Reverend James Lawson
